Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, tagged achypodium lamerei, Cee's Flower of the Day (FOTD) challenge, Madagascar Palm, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, rooftop garden, white flowers on October 12, 2021| 12 Comments »
After a twelve year wait, my Pachypodium lamerei has bloomed! Though not a palm, you may know it as a Madagascar Palm.
First thing every morning, while the coffee is brewing, I go up on the rooftop to wish my plants a “buenos días” and check to see if the water heater pilot is still lit — but I digress.
Two and a half weeks ago my Pachypodium lamerei surprised me with its first ever flower.
And the blooms keep coming. I think it likes its new home!
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, Travel & Tourism, Weather, tagged Barrio de Jalatlaco, clouds, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, rainy season, terrace garden, terrace views, trees on August 25, 2021| 6 Comments »
With storms to the north and storms to the south, Oaxaca is stuck in the middle. And the rain keeps falling. Sometimes, the sun peeks through the clouds…
And, sometimes it doesn’t…
Sometimes it rains in the late afternoon, sometimes at night, and sometimes (like today) the rains come on and off throughout the day. ‘Tis the season.
Posted in Animals, Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, tagged bees, flowers, Mexico, Night Blooming Cereus, night blooming flowers, Oaxaca, pollination, rooftop garden, video on July 26, 2021| 2 Comments »
This morning: Four Night Blooming Cereus flowers and one seriously busy bee!
Life in the rooftop garden.
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Creativity, Flora, Gardens, tagged atrium, container garden, flowers, landscaping a rooftop, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, plants, rooftop garden, succulents, terrace garden, trees on July 23, 2021| 14 Comments »
When last we left Casita Colibrí’s garden, it had weathered Moving days and the plants were Surviving and thriving wherever they had landed at their new home.
Much to the movers’ relief, some (though, not a lot!) of the plants were to remain on the ground floor. With those, it was within my artistic ability to create an entryway and to arrange the palms and other shade-loving plants in my new apartment’s atrium.
However, the landscaping on the rooftop, where the majority of the plants landed, was left to the imagination — as I had neither the strength nor the skill. Consequently, two and a half weeks ago, under a blazing hot and unrelenting sun, my friend and excellent landscaper Jose Ruiz Garcia and his nephew came over to move, position, and re-position trees and succulents and shrubs — oh my!
Most mornings it’s now where I begin my day. With coffee in hand, I cautiously wend my way up the narrow spiral staircase to commune with my plants, listen to the birds sing and chatter, and enjoy this beautiful and tranquil garden that Jose has created. It’s also a perfect setting to sip a glass of wine as the sun sets.
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, Travel & Tourism, tagged Buddha belly plant, Casita Colibrí, Cayenne pepper plant, Flor de mayo, flowers, frangipani, Jasmine flowers, Jatropha podagrica, Mexico, Night Blooming Cereus, Oaxaca, photos, rooftop garden on July 3, 2021| 14 Comments »
Many of my View From Casita Colibrí regular readers have expressed concern regarding how the garden survived the move. I want to assure you, though it desperately needs landscaping, the plants are surviving and thriving in their new home.
Methinks it is, in no small part, due to our daily late afternoon downpours. It is the rainiest rainy season since 2010 — at least that I can remember!
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Gardens, Home, Transportation, tagged furniture piled high, garden pots, Mexico, moving boxes, moving day, moving truck, Oaxaca, photos, plants, trees, working for a living on June 29, 2021| 13 Comments »
Yes, that is moving days, plural! However, neither rain nor breakdowns nor dark of night kept Casita Colibrí (the name moved, too) from moving twelve years of furniture, art and artesanía, kitchenware, clothing, books, and her massive container garden to its new home.
Day one began at 4:00 PM and consisted of four trips and a little rain to move from the old casita to the new — hauling furniture, boxes, and some of the smaller plants. Some of it was carried down the dicey stairs and some went over the balcony. Needless to say, the crew of five, plus yours truly, were worn out when we called it quits at 10:00 PM.
With all the furniture ensconced in its new home, the task of day two (postponed a few days due to mechanical issues with the truck) was to move the trees, their ginormous pots, the chimenea, and worm-rich barrels of soil that I have been cultivating for several years. It wound up taking two trips and almost four hours to lower the plants, etc. from one rooftop and then hoist them up to another. Oh, and did I mention, having to detour several blocks due to an accident. Another day of sheer exhaustion!
However, when all is said and done, everything arrived safe and sound, save for one cracked pot. Of course, that doesn’t count the sore backs and the revenge of cactus thorns. Willie Delfín and his crew were amazing.
Now the decorating and landscaping fun begins!
Posted in Animals, Gardens, Neighborhoods, Travel & Tourism, tagged Barrio de Xochimilco, chipmunk, cute animal photos, Mexico, New York state, Oaxaca, photos, squirrel on May 23, 2021| 2 Comments »
My trip to el norte is drawing to a close and tomorrow morning, before the sun rises, my day-long journey back to Oaxaca begins. After being away for 5-1/2 weeks, I wonder what changes I will see. In the meantime, a couple of cute animal photos from here and there…
Now that I am fully vaccinated, I’m looking forward to venturing out and about a lot more and hopefully having more fodder for the blog!
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, tagged camellias, Cee's Flower of the Day (FOTD) challenge, Flor de mayo, flowers, frangipani, gardens, May Flower, Mexico, Mill Valley, Oaxaca, photos, plumeria on May 5, 2021| 4 Comments »
Flowers of May there and here…
Posted in Creativity, Environment, Flora, Gardens, tagged container garden, lavatory, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, plants, popular travel destinations, recycling, sidewalk scenes, toilets on April 14, 2021| 3 Comments »
Container gardening, Oaxaca style.
I chuckle every time I pass by this planter on the sidewalk of Calle Heroico Colegio Militar in Colonia Reforma.
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, Music, tagged balcony garden, flowers, Mexico, Night Blooming Cereus, Nina Simone, Oaxaca, photos, song lyrics Feeling Good on March 31, 2021| 4 Comments »
Yesterday morning a new day dawned and my first night blooming cereus flower of the season greeted me.
Today marks 21 days since my first Pfizer vaccine, yet the date, time, and place of my second vaccination is still unknown. However, during these challenging times, I’m channeling Nina Simone singing, Feeling Good.
Birds flying high you know how I feel
Sun in the sky you know how I feel
Breeze driftin’ on by you know how I feel
It’s a new dawn
It’s a new day
It’s a new life
For me
And I’m feeling good
Fish in the sea you know how I feel
River running free you know how I feel
Blossom on the tree you know how I feel
Dragonfly out in the sun you know what I mean, don’t you know
Butterflies all havin’ fun you know what I mean
Sleep in peace when day is done
That’s what I mean
And this old world is a new world
And a bold world
For me
Stars when you shine you know how I feel
Scent of the pine you know how I feel
Oh freedom is mine
And I know how I feel
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, Travel & Tourism, Weather, tagged cactus, container garden, Euphorbia Trigona, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, terrace garden on March 27, 2021| 1 Comment »
It’s the time of year when late afternoon winds come up, landing patterns change to often bring planes very low over the city, and the occasional top heavy plant topples over.
Tuesday morning I came out on the terrace to find my Euphorbia Trigona down. Prone, though it was, neither it nor its beautiful old maceta (flowerpot) suffered any damage. Both are now safely cradled in a wrought iron plant stand.
Posted in Flora, Gardens, Science & Nature, Travel & Tourism, tagged blue sky, Clavellina, flowering trees, jacaranda, Mexico, Oaxaca, palm trees, Palo de rosas, papel picado, photos, popular travel destinations, Primavera amarilla, Primavera rosa, Shaving Brush Tree, trees on March 2, 2021| 14 Comments »
It is the time of year when the temperatures begin to reach 90º F and the Primavera amarillas, Jacarandas, Clavellinas, and Palo de rosas trees bloom.
It’s almost spring and Oaxaca has entered her sky blue period.
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, Travel & Tourism, tagged agave, cactus, coronavirus fallout, COVID-19 fallout, Mexico, nopal, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, tourism on February 26, 2021| 2 Comments »
This article, Tourists are welcome in Oaxaca, Mexico. Their increasingly bad behavior is not, is one of the reasons these images from my garden express how I’m feeling these days.
Then there is the fact that I haven’t set foot out of the city for exactly one year. Color me prickly and awaiting the vaccine.
Posted in Animals, Casita Colibrí, Gardens, tagged birds, Cedar Waxwings, flocking birds, fountains, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos on February 9, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Snowbirds continue to arrive in Oaxaca. For the past several days, Cedar Waxwings have been flocking to my fountain — the first year they have come to Casita Colibrí. They are great fun to watch and seem to have distinct personalities.
Though I must say, they make a huge mess!
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, Travel & Tourism, tagged anthurium, flower of the day, house plants, Mexico, Michoacán furniture, Oaxaca, photos on January 13, 2021| 8 Comments »
When I was twelve years old, I met one of my (still) best friends. While my family’s garden consisted of roses, camellias, fruit trees, colorful annuals, and lawn and our indoor plants were limited to African violets, hers had Japanese inspired landscaping outside and tropical plants inside. After all, they had been to Hawaii! The orchids and anthurium seemed so exotic and I was impressed. Eventually, over the years, orchids became one of my houseplants of choice but, for some reason (maybe cost?), I’ve never had an anthurium until now.
While shopping for poinsettias last month at my favorite seasonal plant pop-up shop (1/2 block up from Mercado Sánchez Pascuas on Tinoco y Palacios), I saw this anthurium (anterio en español), the price was 1/5th the cost in el norte, and couldn’t resist.
My goal is to find a talavera pot for the anthurium (aka, flamingo flower, tailflower, painter’s palette, and laceleaf). In the meantime, set against my beautiful old hand-carved and painted desk from Michoacán, my Christmas gift to myself brings a smile — much needed during these challenging times. And, according to Wikipedia, it is “effective in removing formaldehyde, xylene, toluene, and ammonia from the air” — though I suspect that’s not a problem here at Casita Colibrí.
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